The forces of Thomas Jefferson called John Adams a “hideous hermaphroditical character, which has neither the force and firmness of a man, nor the gentleness and sensibility of a woman.”

The supporters of Adams called Jefferson “a mean-spirited, low-lived fellow, the son of a half-breed Indian squaw, sired by a Virginia mulatto father.”

Today, after more than two centuries of progress, Newt Gingrich says Mitt Romney is “breathlessly dishonest,” and Romney says that Gingrich is an “influence peddler” who had to “resign in disgrace.”

There is a difference between then and now, however. In earlier times, attacks took place in newspapers, pamphlets, handbills and by men just standing on tree stumps and shouting.

Today, attacks take place on television. About 97 percent of the households in America own a television set, and the average viewer watches more than five hours of television per day.

Political campaigns believe in TV ads not just because of their potential reach (I say potential because you tend to tune them out of your head at a certain point), but because every second, every frame, every moment is completely controllable. Unlike a speech, a debate or a news conference, a candidate can’t screw up a TV ad.

This is very appealing to candidates who grow tired of worrying about how they are going to screw up next.

As you may have read, the super PAC supporting Romney spent $14.3 million in Florida, almost all of it on negative ads.

The old notion that a candidate had to build up a positive image before going negative has been thrown out the window. Everybody goes negative now, and usually as soon and as often as possible.

Why? Because it appears to work and even when it doesn’t work, it makes the candidate feel better. Candidates fume over the despicable attacks by their opponents and they want to hit back.

Do the candidates pay a price? Sure. Romney’s disapproval numbers have risen along with his negative campaigning. But so what? If he doesn’t get the nomination, it doesn’t matter how good his public image is.

Everybody plays for today and figures he can buy more ads to correct any problem in the future.

2. The Field Is Weak

After months and months of saying this, I have decided that it is actually true. At a dinner of political analysts and journalists this week, we went around the table trying to think of a weaker field than the Republican one this cycle. One journalist chose the Democratic field of 1992 — if one removed Bill Clinton from the list.

This was met with loud objection, largely because you can’t remove Clinton from the list — he won the nomination and the presidency after all — but also, going back and looking at the 1992 field you find Jerry Brown, Paul Tsongas, Bob Kerrey, Tom Harkin, Doug Wilder and Gene McCarthy.

Romney has shown an inclination to be nasty in this campaign. It has worked—and that suggests what he will do in the general election. The GOP has bought the argument that he can easily win the Presidency, but it is not as clear as they think. Some of his promises are a bit silly—repealing the Affordable Care Act "on day one." That may not be so easy. Romney will have to play conservative-in-chief in the next few months to make sure he has all the delegates and he will need to move further to the right.

Polls indicate this may be a close election. Much will depend on what happens with the economy in the months leading up to the election. The Democrats have not yet begun their campaign and when they do, it will be clear that there is considerable support for re-electing President Obama.

The right wingers are dreaming if they think any of these pols can handle Obama. Reality has set in... it's about which GOP candidate will lose the least in the general at this point. When Obama went up against Clinton in 2008, his numbers went up. Romney's seen his numbers go down as this process has continued... it's not going to get any better.

Rick Perry: One of the longest serving Governors in modern history. Military background, Ag Commissioner for Texas, etc...

Rick Santorum: Two-time Senator

Ron Paul: Congressman for 20 years and a medical Dr.

John Huntsman: Two-term Governor, Ambassador to China, Businessman

Mitt Romney: Governor of Mass, Headed the Olympics, 25 years business executive in major business deals.

Newt Gingrich: Has lived in Washington for most of his life (4 decades).

The liberal media can sit around the table with the rest of there liberal friends and talk about the weak field all they want. It's false. How silly will they look when the winner of this so-called weak field becomes our next President. How's that gonna work for ya?

If you line up the Resume's of those who ran this time against any other field they have a lot of depth and are a very strong field of competitors.

I thought the 'A' Team stoodon the side line in the 08 champaign. The then conservative savior was to be actor fred Thompson..ummm.. then the republs did it again... fielding a even worse line up...starring mitt. It just represents the nature of the grand ole partry right now.. devoid of ideas and credible candidates...I don't agree with Newts politics but the case can be made that We've already had a president who promise to run the country like a Corp... GW Bush. btw..mitt can't help himselp..making the President into Robinhood...Last time i checked the was the good guy...smh.

I don't think that anyone in this campaign is weak. That's why the public has vacillated so much. They can't make up their minds, because they're not completely sold on Romney. Mass doesn't exactly love Romney. There were a lot of people that voted in this Primary and a lot of them were rich Latinos. The poorer ones aren't completely sold I don't think. I do think that Obama will lose Florida. But who knows. There is still time to make a large margin. My hubby was so impressed with his State of the Union Address. And he's a Republican. Romney is trying to buy the election, and win with slander. It won't work, because people will get tired of it, just as they did the other candidates. Obama/;Biden 2012

I think the media has a short memory; Obama and Hillary had a nasty fight pre-election. What some folks would do for news. I wish we had more info about Obama before the election. I think Hillary should have been the choice.

Love the narrative. The field is weak. Translation: how can we best help re-elect Obama? How about saying the President is weak? He is one of the worse we have had so far. Any of the candidates on the Republican side would be a vast improvement. Where are those stories? Thought so.

"Newt Gingrich says Mitt Romney is “breathlessly dishonest,” and Romney says that Gingrich is an “influence peddler” who had to “resign in disgrace.”

But here is the difference between today and yesteryear: Newt Gingrich really was an influence peddler, and he really did resign in disgrace.

I am no Romney supporter, but this false equivalence of the media--treating every story as if it must be presented 50:50 is a disservice to most americans. Romney may have a lot of issues, but you can't make his "dishonesty"--something that is more opinion than fact--serve as a counterbalance to the fact that Gingrich resigned following an ethics investigation.

Back to inevitability? Just like NH? There's no doubt that such a media dominated environment as Florida was Romney territory. The next states in the West and South will surely be bumpy territory. Not to mention that the entire conservative vote against Romney pretty much tied his 46%. I am an independent, and I would much rather Gingrich be president than Romney. At least Gingrich is just looking out for himself, Romney wants to help out all his private equity friends!

Go Mitt! Mitt shows the awesome power of his SUPER PAC! With a big enough Super PAC, it doesn't matter what you have done, just what you say you have done!

Now that Mitt has proven that despite supporting abortion for children without parental consent, signing off on Gay Marriage (the first!), signing cap and trade carbon taxes, and raising taxes AND increasing debt, he can get the Christians, the Conservatives, the Tea Party, and the Libertarians to vote for him!

Paul will soon order his followers to vote for Mitt, and they will do as their leader says.

This man and his SUPER PAC can sell ANYTHING! So I can look forward to Mitt' shifting the tax burden to the poor where it belongs, selling off the worthless national parks, forests, highways, and rangelands to the Chinese and the Germans to pay off the debt, and canceling Socialist Security and sending the freeloaders back to work. Mitt will manage America's decline, liquidate it's assets, and keep the RICH peoplel on top during the process.

Hopefully he will also repeal the law against Polygamy - I've seen Sister Wives and that looks like a Great Lifestyle! Go Mitt!

Next it's on the beating Opleaseblameme by blaming him for acting like you - this will be great! Mitt will take the lowest road, if Oblameme goes low, Mitt will go lower - its not about religion, ideology, principles, or other silly things - it's about winning now, Red winning over Blue - Mitt is RED, Oblameme is BLUE - get it straight, and vote for Mitt!

So what does it say about Obama when the left is always saying just how weak of a field the GOP has and yet Mitt is tied with Obama yet Obama hasn't had a barrage of attacks focused on him yet?

************************************************

You're kidding with that statement right?

Hasn't had attacks focused on him yet?

What do think the GOP, Tea Party and business leaders have been doing the past three years?

Playing patty-cake?

However, here's what should cause you worry.

Through some 20 odd debates, with the GOP leveling every kind of ridiculous charge against him and calling him vile names....his numbers have........gone up?

How is that possible?

The GOP has had the floor to itself........with nary a peep from the President......or Democrats

And his numbers are up?

And Mittens competition?

A pizza pie maker, a doltish Governor who can't string a complete sentence together, a religious whackjob ex-senator who lost his last election by 18% and........and......a serial adulterer, ethics violating, chased from the Speakership of the House, former Freddie Mac consultant sociopath.

*sigh*

Well, we're going to see what the poster boy for Wall Street is made of

Does anyone listen to or care what this idiot writes....he's a liberal attack dog...and a Shiht zu at that...this is what we can expect from the lame stream media. It can't tout Obama's record because that's pathetic so it has to attack the Republican candidates. Once you subtract the loons on the left the remaining voters are not morons. They understand this election is all about Barry's record and the CBO report today is a stunning reflection of Obama's incompetence. It reminds us that the deficit will again be over $1 trillion, the fourth year in a row for this administration. It predicts that unemployment for 2012 will be 8.9% but that REAL unemployment is over 10%. Then throw in that foreclosures are rising, home sales and home values are at all time lows, a gallon of gasoline costs nearly double now than it did when Barry took office, consumer confidence is falling again....wow, HELLUVA JOB BARRY!! Oh yeah and just for the Hell of it...add in 'fast and furious', Solyndra, and the general collapse of all the government subsidized solar companies to the tune of billions of taxpayer dollars wasted and you have the makings of a real shellacking come November....goodbye Barry you one term loser.

Is Mitt bored with beating up on the JV teams? Is he ready for the big leagues? I am confident that Team Obama is conserving its strength and is ready for the task ahead. BTW, Team Romney should drop that class warfare rhetoric because it only proves what is already obvious to most of the electorate, that he is an elitist that does not play by the rules.

Mitt Romney plans for the third term of President George W. Bush. Didn't work out so well the first two terms and the policies will be Bush's doubled if Romney wins. I can't see America go for this. Romney should lose more states than John McCain.